Moments Frozen in Time
by DarkAngel555
Summary: One shots on Kate and Keith. Requests will be taken.
1. Chapter 1

_**DA: Well, hello there Pok**__**é**__**mon Ranger fans. Though, I'm not new to Fanfiction, this is my first Pok**__**émon Ranger fic. This is a series of one-shots revolving around my favorite couple in the series: Kate and Keith AKA Vatonageshipping. Basically, it's random moments in their lives. I will accept requests when given but updates will be random. This first one-shot is self-explanatory. **_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokémon. Probably never will. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

Moments Frozen in Time

1. Broken

A room with solid gray walls. That was the first thing Kate saw when she arose to consciousness that morning, her sapphire eyes flicking open. Another day in this confinement with no noticeable sign of rescue. Her uniform was torn and stiff with dried blood, the material rubbing against her already irritated skin. A quick glance down to her wrist confirmed what she already knew, her styler was cracked, neither sending nor receiving any signals. With a sigh, she slumped against the wall once again, injuries complaining all at once. She shut her eyes in attempt to ward off the dizzying pain.

Ice, her captor, was due to arrive at any moment, his arsenal of torture instruments hanging at his side. Kate hated him with every fiber of her being, a shock to all who knew her. She may have the few people she severely disliked, but never hated. But here she was, seething with rage at the man who had torn her away from those she loved just for revenge.

Keith... The ranger was positive that her redheaded boyfriend would be doing everything that was possible just to find her, his normally goofy nature set aside. If Erma did not assign him he mission of finding her then there'd be hell to pay, or maybe she was being vain... A laugh bubbled in her throat at the thought of Keith throwing a fit in the Operations Center. That was her boyfriend, a loyal ranger who dedicated himself to protecting everything he cared about, no matter the cost.

The door creaked open, the sudden flood of light blinding her. When the spots cleared, an attractive young man with ice blue hair stood in the doorway, a twisted smirk marring his features. "You know," Kate rasped, anger flaring again. "If you keep your face like that any longer, it'll stay like that." His eyes narrowed slightly, his hands tightening around the strip secured over his shoulder.

"You know," he responded calmly. "Your life rests in my hands. And that at any moment, I can snap that string your clinging to." The weak grin of triumph dropped off her face, a blank mask replacing it. He dropped his bag and approached the ranger, a syringe hanging loosely in one hand. He knelt down next to her, jamming the needle into her bicep. "Well, Princess Kate-noob, another day and you're still locked in your tower. Prince Charming is nowhere in sight. What does he not care for you?" He injected the poison in the syringe into her body, sending immediate jolts of pain through her body.

"He'll come," she whispered. "And he'll kick your sorry ass too." He tapped her cheek lightly, a smile curling upwards on his face.

"You keep telling yourself that." The blue haired villain got up and grabbed the bag, rummaging through its contents. She saw a knife flashing in the corner of her eye, fear overtaking her.

"He'll come. I know he will."

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Keith stood in front of Chairperson Erma, his exhausted face twisted with shock. "My mission is to do what?" he asked hesitantly.

"A Rhydon is stuck in a well near Vientown," Erma responded, her hands curled around her cane. Sven and Wendy were standing nearby, making quiet bets on how long it took until the redhead exploded. It was common knowledge around the Ranger Union headquarters that the young ranger hadn't slept well in two weeks, ever since Kate vanished. He'd been doing missions obediently but the tension had been riding steadily. Wendy's bet was within five minutes; Sven's was the moment Keith started the mission. The redhead snorted, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Hell no." Erma's eyes popped wide open. "I'm refusing that mission." It was a visible effort for the old woman to pull herself together.

"Well... I'm afraid that a ranger cannot refuse a mission when given one." Keith's brown eyes narrowed.

"Did you hear me? I said no. I'm afraid that I have a more important mission to deal with than a damn Rhydon that stuck its nose where it didn't belong. Area rangers can take that job. No doubt it'll fall right back in again because that was the set up." If Erma's eyes could get any wider, they'd fall out of her head. She was speechless, her gaze fixed on the young man in front of her. His hair was disheveled and dark bags shadowed the bottoms of his eyes. "I know that you've been setting up busy work missions to keep me busy. But I'm not taking it anymore. So no, I'm not doing that mission. Or do you not remember, we have a ranger missing." He paused, taking slow and steady breaths in an attempt to calm himself. It wasn't working. "I'm aware that we have people 'investigating' her case. Frankly, I don't care. I'm the only one who can pull off this mission correctly. So I'm going. I don't care if you decide to take away my top ranger rank. I'm saving Kate. He stormed out, his face flushed with anger.

"Somebody stop him," Erma said, slamming the butt of her cane into the floor. "We need..." She was cut off by Professor Hastings' hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go," the wizened old man said. "This is something he needs to do." The old woman cleared her throat, glancing over at Sven and Wendy. The green haired ranger seemed pleased with herself, counting the money in her hands. Sven was swearing silently, his face fixed in a frown.

"Wendy, I want you to follow Keith. Secretly. Help him only when he desperately needs it." She straightened, hiding the money from view

"Yes ma'am," she said, already on the way to the roof where she'd catch a ride on her Staraptor.

"Sven, you're on the Rhydon mission." Sven's frowned deepened. It seemed that he had rotten luck today.

"Dammit."

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Keith sprinted down the steps and into the old oil rig hideout. After storming out of the Union, he had stopped by Issac in Altru, knowing that he would have a good idea of Kate's whereabouts. He'd been one of the scientists hired to investigate her mysterious disappearance and being the boy genius he was, Issac would have the best idea of where Kate had been hidden. The young professor had pointed him in the direction of the old Dim Sun base.

His Buziel hung on his coat as he tore through the base; there was no way the small Pokémon would be able to keep up with his speed. The halls were deserted aside from the occasional Pokémon. It seemed that the rig wasn't used anymore, which was odd if the Sinus trio, or what was left of it, was using the place. A bright light caught his eye, a difference from the darkened hallways. Keith pressed himself against the wall and crept forward. If somebody was here, they were up ahead.

He froze upon hearing a voice, hoping the dark hallway would cover his presence. "I am so out of here," a woman said as the hidden ranger dove behind a few nearby crates. Bright pink hair, Lavana's trademark, was reflecting the artificial light. "I just know my makeup's a mess. And what does Ice need me for anyway? He's the only one who's allowed to touch the ranger." Her voice grew in volume as she moved down the hallway and closer to his hiding spot. "And we've been covering our tracks. No one will find us. Ice won't even notice I'm gone." She kept muttering as she continued walking but Keith's attention was focused on the door that the fiery woman had been guarding.

Glancing back to make sure Lavana's attention was elsewhere, he moved forward, his deep brown eyes flicking around. His hand twitched towards his styler. A woman's cry echoed from within the room and anger flared inside the redheaded ranger. His thoughts were obscured and he stormed forward, the automatic door snapping open at his presence.

Ice's hands were soaked in blood, his grip on the knife slipping slightly. Kate was shivering in front of him, many new lacerations extending across her body. Her eyes stared blankly at he ceiling, her consciousness not truly there. The poison was racing through his victim's body, symptoms just beginning to show in a fever. He heard the door open and answered without turning. "What is it Lavana?" he snarled, annoyance seeping into his words. "Can't you see I'm busy?" He expected a whiny complaint as a response. What he didn't expect was a fist colliding with his cheek. He was sent sprawling to the floor, the weapon wrenched from his hand.

Keith stood in front of the man, his eyes narrowed to slits. His hands were curled into fists, trembling with unbound fury. Ice was trying to stem the flow of blood from his nose with his jacket sleeve, swearing under his breath. "You didn't look too busy before," the young ranger said, his voice dangerously soft. "But you're about to be. How dare you take a Top Ranger, especially the one who's so important to so many people."

"Would one of those people be you, Keith-noob?" Ice responded, sounding bored.

"Of course, but that's none of your business, you pathetic excuse for a man." He flung his styler bearing arm in front of him, his other hand bracing the mechanism. The blue haired man picked himself up. Then, after shifting through a pack, a miniremo was activated.

"Well then, since you seem so bent on rescuing your princess, I might as well provide some entertainment. Gallade go! Squash the ranger!" A white and green pokémon skated forward, glowing with psychic energy, and with a flash of blue light, the styler disk unattached itself from the main device. It began circling instantly as if it controlled itself, only stopping when an attack would have stuck the line. Keith's determined face said otherwise. The styler beeped, signifying the capture complete, and the Gallade, freed from hypnosis, ran.

The ranger walked up to Ice again and punched him. "That's for Kate, you jackass." Ice's nose began bleeding anew, red liquid dripping from his chin. Ignoring the swearing in the background, Keith approached the injured ranger. He fell to his knees at her appearance, trying to alienate his feelings from his mental state. Her face was bruised and bloodied, her eyes glazed over. The redhead hovered over her, his eyes searching hers. "Kate?" he asked softly. His voice brought no life to her eyes and that worried him. His head snapped up to glare at the man still sprawled on the floor. "What did you do to her? Why is she not responding while she is clearly conscious?"

"She separated her mind from her body," Ice responded, his clogged nose altering his voice slightly. "It's to avoid pain. To avoid me. Nothing brings her out of it until she wakes up next morning." Keith's eyes narrowed again, his hands clenching once again at his sides.

"You're lucky I'm not breaking your face right now." His brown eyes gazed at his lover, flicking back and forth as his thoughts did. "I'll get her out of it." The blue haired man snickered, the sound like a dying pig. Keith ignored his enemy and lowered his face to Kate's. "Kate," he started, his voice a whisper to keep Ice from eavesdropping. "I love you more than anything. Please come back to me. I promise that nothing will hurt you anymore." The ranger gently pressed his lips to hers, his hand cupping her cheek.

"You won't get her back, you fool. She's broken. I broke her." Keith's lips hardened slightly in anger but soon loosened as Kate emitted a sight groan. He separated from her, locking eyes with the injured girl.

"Keith?" she mumbled, her hand touching his face to assure herself that he was real. "I just had the best dream about you..." She trailed off suddenly, her eyes filling with tears. "I thought you forgot about me." The spiky-haired ranger rubbed her cheek gently with his thumb.

"I could never do that." He kissed her again and her lips responded. It was just the two of them in their own world. A world in which nothing was broken.

_**DA: And that wraps it up for the first part of this piece. I will be posting a sequel soon as it's mostly written already. As I have said, I will take requests. And please, review because that may encourage me to update quicker. ;D**_

_**May your hearts stay strong,**_

_**DarkAngel555**_


	2. Chapter 2

**DA: I think I've let you all wait long enough. I just hope you haven't forgotten about me. Broken was really just a test to see how you guys like my writing. I do admit, I'm quite pleased with all your responses. This story goes with the last one, making it a two-shot. I swear it'll probably be the only one. I just had to write this or I would feel unfulfilled. After this, the one-shots begin. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon Ranger. The only thing I own currently is a very pretty pink prom dress that I am more than excited to wear. XD**

**DA: Please enjoy. **

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2. Healing

Kate was lying in a bed in the Ranger Union's infirmary, white bandages stretching across her body. Rhythmi, sitting in a chair, had a book draped across her lap and a headset encasing her ear. She was still on duty, and that required her to wear the headset at all times. Keith, despite the fact that he was exhausted, was on a mission. Erma held the young redhead to his word when he had said that he would take on any mission without question if the chairperson let him take the mission of saving his girlfriend. It was an understatement to say that the blond operator was worried. Kate's shallow breathing filled the room with sound, the only sound. It was that sound that had kept Keith up that night, and it was that sound that drove him to go to work that day completely exhausted.

The door suddenly slid open, causing the blond to glance over. A very disheveled Keith walked into the room, the bags under his eyes even more apparent than they had been this morning. "You're back early," she commented softly. A weak glare poked at her from within his brown eyes.

"Sven sent me back," Keith responded with a yawn. "Said I was endangering the mission." Rhythmi had to place a hand in front of her mouth to hide her laughter. "Oh shut up." He clumsily grabbed a nearby chair and swung it over to Kate's bedside, plopping into it once it was in place.

"What exactly did you do?" The young ranger wiped angrily at his eyes as if the motion would drive the sleepiness away.

"Fell asleep on a Staraptor..." he said gruffly. "Next thing I knew I was on the ground with Sven glaring at me." The operator found herself unable to contain the laughter building up inside her and it burst from her lips in a roar, causing Keith to glance up at her incredulously from his hands. "No sympathy, I swear. I've just been caring for Kate at all hours of the night and unable to sleep the nights before I found her." Rhythmi's laughter was instantly silenced, a shamed look of guilt replacing her previously gleeful face. His hands softly brushed a chestnut colored lock of hair from his lover's face, his tired face bearing a worried but oddly caring countenance. He slid his other hand into hers, squeezing it gently once.

A low moan sounded from the bed. Keith's eyes, though already focused on her, fixated themselves upon her face. Kate's eyelids twitched once, her slender eyebrows scrunching down, then opened, revealing startling sapphire orbs. "Keith?" she murmured, her hand tightening around his. He smiled down at her, all exhaustion forgotten.

"Nope, this is Rhythmi," he responded in a falsetto. Kate responded with a raised eyebrow and a roll of her eyes. "You see Keith? Well, maybe something's wrong with that big brain of yours." Rhythmi stood up, closing her book, and stormed over to the goofy redhead. "Especially if you see handsome, sexy, hot, and adorable Keith instead of lame and boring-" He was cut off by a hard and heavy book smacking the side of his head, causing him to fall off his chair.

"Enough with your abuse of every adjective known to mankind," Rhythmi snarled, brandishing her book with flair. "And I am NOT lame and boring!" Keith pulled himself back into his chair, rubbing his head.

"That hurt, Ryth..." he complained in his normal voice. Kate, finding all this amusing from the start, laughed. "Glad you found it funny."

"Keith," Kate started, shaking her head. "You knew she was going to flip like that so why did you even start?" He shrugged, pouting.

"It's cause he's overtired," the blond said, sitting down. Just as she opened her book, her earpiece started squawking in her ear. She swore. "Just as I was sitting down too." With a sigh, she stood. "I have to go. Operators are busy so I have to help out. Apparently every ranger available is on a mission. Why? I don't know, but they are." Frowning, she left, her lethal book clutched tightly in her fingers.

"Why are you overtired?" Kate asked quietly once she had determined Rhythmi's distance to be far enough away. Keith kissed her forehead, one of the only spots without bandages. When he leaned back in his chair, she noticed just how dark the bags under his eyes were. And she didn't like it. Not one bit.

"I couldn't sleep, knowing that your life was in danger." Her sapphire eyes softened, grabbing the hand resting on her bed. "Ice is in custody and is being questioned as we speak." She nodded slightly, his hand tightening around hers. "So far, all we've gotten out of him was that he was just doing it for revenge. I was there for that part." He smiled, falling silent for a moment. "They then sent me away once they realized that his broken nose was because of me." She smiled back.

"Looks like someone's protective of me." His grin widened, cheeks tinted pink. A thought suddenly occurred to her based on Rhythmi's words. "So why are you not on a mission?" He coughed gently to cover his embarrassment. He averted his gaze, finding the tiled floor more interesting than her face. That damn Staraptor. It just _had _to feel like his bed. The gentle vibrations of the wing muscles in movement lured him to sleep. He blamed the bird.

"I fell off a Staraptor because I fell asleep. Erma decided that having me on missions right now probably wouldn't be the best idea. I'm on vacation for at least two weeks." She frowned, worried. Worried or not, it wasn't like Keith to skip out on a night's rest. Keith tried to stifle a yawn, unsuccessfully. The brunette painfully pushed herself to the side of her bed, patting the empty side.

"Come up here with me," she murmured. "We can fall asleep together." He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. She smiled at him, the expression warm and inviting. "Well come on. I don't mind."

"But won't that hurt you?" She frowned at his words, crossing her arms over her chest. Sure, Keith wanted to share a bed with Kate but he wasn't sure whether or not her body could handle it.

"I'm not that fragile! Honestly, you'd think I was made of glass. I may be hurt but I can handle someone sharing my bed." His goofy grin returned, softening her gaze. "Come on. We're both tired. Get your ass up here before I fall asleep." He rolled his eyes but complied, lying his body next to her. She smiled weakly at him, her eyes drooping. The redhead gently placed her on his chest, rubbing the brunette's shoulders contentedly. "Don't you dare leave while I'm asleep." He could feel his own eyes closing as well, a strange expression gracing his face.

"Go to sleep. I promise I'll be here when you wake up." She sighed and within moments, she was asleep, breathing softly against his chest. He followed her soon thereafter, his own exhaustion too strong to resist.

Rhythmi walked back into the room, looking for the bookmark she must have dropped on her way out the door. Of course, the couple in the bed drew her attention, a ghost of a smile floating across her lips. She'd seen their relationship coming before anyone, seeing as she had gone to school with the two of them. The signs were all there even back then and, though Rhythmi tried valiantly to gain Keith's attention, all he looked at was Kate. She constantly caught him sneaking glances at her other best friend. Whenever she brought it up, though, he always blamed it on something else, the excuse varying per day.

The blond approached their bed, wondering what to do with this situation. For some reason, she couldn't just wake them up; that would ruin all of their fun. Suddenly, a smirk stretched across her features as she dug through the bag at her side. She pulled out her hand, a silver digital camera clutched in her palm. Blackmail was her sweetest pass time and she briefly wondered what she could force the pair to do as she quietly snapped a photo of their nap. Surely sleeping in a patient's hospital bed was illegal according to the infirmary's rules. Keith stirred slightly, his eyelids twitching. Slowly, she backed away, humming a quiet tune to lull him back to sleep. The camera was placed back into its spot in her bag as she left, all evidence of her plot hidden. A quiet laugh escaped her lips, unbidden from the need to be silent, as she trotted to the Operations Center, obviously more than pleased with herself.

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**DA: Well, that ending was unexpected... I didn't even see that one coming. Oh, Rhythmi, you always make me laugh. This was so fluffy, but I love fluff. A lot. Tell me what you thought of this story. I'll start working on the next one, but I can make no promises on updates. Not until summer. This is the time of year where everything happens at once and I can't find time for myself. Just R&R. Please. I know that beautiful button on the bottom of the page is just calling your name. Oh, and remember that I do take requests. If there's anything you'd like me to write, don't be shy. Just ask. With that said, I bid thee farewell.**

**May your hearts stay strong,**

**DarkAngel555**


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